Streams

Sedimentary environments

Sedimentary environments

Mechanical weathering
5. Abrasion stones grinding together

Sedimentary rocks types

1. Clastic: broken bits of other rocks

Sedimentary rocks features

--cross bedding

Sedimentary rocks features

--ripple marks

Streams
Water Earths hydrosphere
Most precipitation
comes from:
4 times more
precipitation falls
on oceans than on
land
Most evaporation: 7
times more
evaporation comes
from the ocean than
from land
We get 40 of rain a
year in milly

Streams

Streams
Where does water come from?
-meteoric (precipitation) recycled
-juvenile water volcanic steam
-ice comets
upper atmosphere impacts every 30 min
enough moisture for 1 in/10,000 yrs
100 in/my over the entire ocean realm!

Streams
What happens as rain hits the ground?

Streams flow down hill

Streams
What happens as rain hits the ground?

Channeled flow = stream

Streams
Stream characteristics channel
Water comes out
of the channel
every 2.33 years

channel

Streams
Stream characteristics channel patterns

meandering

braided

Streams
Stream characteristics floodplain
floodplain
It is part of
the stream!

Streams
Stream characteristics watershed, divides

Streams
Stream characteristics watershed, divides

Streams
Stream characteristics watershed, divides
Mississippi
watershed = 1.25
million square
miles
Lake Itasca, MN
Red Rock (Mt.)
Missouri R.
Mississippi =
3710 mi.

Streams
Stream characteristics drainage pattern
Dendritic,
flat lying
beds

Rectangular,
highly
faulted bedrock

Radial,
isolated
hills

Trellis,
folded
mts.

Streams
Stream characteristics tributaries

Streams
Stream characteristics head wall erosion

Streams
Stream characteristics piracy

Streams
Stream characteristics gradient

Streams
Stream characteristics gradient, Tectonics

Streams
Stream characteristics gradient

Streams
Stream characteristics gradient, channel

Streams
Stream characteristics channel shape

Streams
Stream characteristics channel shape

Streams
Stream characteristics discharge=volume per unit
time

Streams
Stream characteristics discharge

Streams
Stream characteristics discharge

Permanent stream

Intermittent or
Ephemeral stream

Streams
Stream characteristics classification

superposed

Streams
Stream characteristics classification

antecedent
Columbia R.

consequent

Streams
Stream characteristics erosion, transport
base level = lowest elevation stream
channel can reach at given location

Streams
Stream characteristics erosion, transport
base level = graded profile

Streams
Stream characteristics erosion, transport
base level change

Streams
Stream characteristics erosion, transport
base level change, incised channel

Streams
Stream characteristics erosion, transport

Streams
Stream characteristics erosion, transport
competence what size particle can the stream move
capacity how much material can the stream move/cary

Streams
Stream characteristics stream evolution

Streams
Stream characteristics stream evolution

Streams
Stream characteristics stream evolution

Streams
Stream characteristics floodplain

Streams
Stream characteristics floodplain

Streams
Stream characteristics flow velocity

Streams
Stream characteristics cut bank/point bar

Streams
Stream characteristics cut bank

Streams
Stream characteristics point bar

Streams
Stream characteristics floodplain

Streams
Stream characteristics levees

Streams
Stream characteristics levees

Streams
Stream characteristics New Orleans

Streams
Stream characteristics oxbow lakes

Streams
Stream characteristics stream evolution,
base level low erosion

Streams
Stream characteristics stream evolution,
base level high deposition

Streams
Stream characteristics stream evolution,
base level low again erosion again

Streams
Stream characteristics terraces

Streams
Stream characteristics terraces

Streams
Stream characteristics ultimate base level

Streams
Stream characteristics deltas

Building On Sinking Sand

USGS

New Orleans
sinking,
below sea-level

Sewerage and Water Board of New Orleans/

US Army Corps of Engineers New Orleans District

Delta sediments.

Sand,
30%
H2O
Mud,
80%
H2O

Volume reduced
~10%
Volume reduced
~40%

Weight of overlying sediments compacts the mud

leading to the subsidence of the delta.

Fine-grained mud at the bottom of the delta.

Compaction of mud away from active deposition

creates lower elevation.

Water will seek lowest

elevation. The
channel will move.

Migration of deposition lobes on Mississippi Delta.

Note:

Lower
elevation

Higher
elevation

Approximately 500 km upstream from Gulf

Mississippi River

1987
1963
1990

~1/4 of flow
diverted

Atchafalaya
River

USGS

Mississippi River flow must be maintained.

Streams
Stream characteristics Floods

Floodplain is part of the stream!

Streams
Stream characteristics Floods

Floodplain is part of the stream!

Streams
Stream characteristics Floods

Floodplain is part of the stream!

Streams
Stream characteristics Floods

Streams
Stream characteristics Floods
RI = (n + 1)/m
n = years recorded
m = rank

Streams
Stream characteristics Floods

Streams
Stream characteristics Floods

Floodplain is part of the stream!

QUESTIONS?